The Apprentice
by Grandi Papa
Summary: Times are changing in the Pride Lands.  Kovu and Kiara must take their places as king and queen.  Rafiki must find an apprentice to take his place.  Will everyone be able to live up to the expectations?  My first fic, so reviews are much appreciated.
1. The Changing Wind

**The Apprentice**

**Chapter I: the Changing Wind**

The sun slowly rose over the Pride Lands, casting its wondrous rays across the fertile grasslands. At this time, the animals are (for the most part) still asleep, the dew still lies on the green leaf, and the air is as fresh as the purest water. At this time, everything seems young and new.

It is at such times that wise old Rafiki, the resident shaman, will stand at the head of the mighty river, cast his mystical staff into the stream, and seek guidance from the Great Kings. Murmuring incantations and swaying his staff through the water in intricate patterns, the baboon would pray to those distant orbs in the dark sky.

Of course, he did not always expect to receive a message every morning, but this method had served him well during his time in the Pride Lands.

With a deep inhale of breath, Rafiki took in the crisp air of his beloved home. Smiling, he felt a presence, one of an old friend. Raising his eyes to the sky, Rafiki let out a soft chuckle.

"Ah, Mufasa, de day is young, and yet I am so old," the monkey murmured.

Indeed, Rafiki was aging rapidly. He had already lived through three different kings' reigns; Mufasa's, Taka's, and Simba's. Now, the young Kovu was preparing to take over for the aging Simba.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through Rafiki's shaggy beard. Flower petals circled the shaman's head, and Rafiki felt the friendly touch of Mufasa.

"I know I can make it through da dry season, but afta dat… who knows?" Rafiki whispered.

_Wait, what's dat in de air?, _Rafiki thought, _What is happening? _The winds continued to swirl, and the trees swayed strongly. Puzzled, Rafiki looked to the sky once more.

"What does it mean?" the shaman asked, "Why are de winds acting so strangely?"

"It means change is coming…" whispered a deep, but soft, voice in the monkey's ear, "You have served this land well, my friend, but even you must someday continue on the Great Circle of Life."

"I know, I know!" Rafiki muttered irritably, "Who's de mystic here?"

Mufasa's chuckle came as a sweet breeze on Rafiki's face. "That as it might be, Rafiki, you're time is coming. Be ready… you must… prepare…."

And with that, the winds died down, the trees stood still, and the Pride Lands returned to its slumber.

A few hours later, the rest of the kingdom began to awake. With a mighty yawn, Kovu rose from his sleep. Blinking, he surveyed his surroundings. He was lying in the den alongside his beloved mate, Princess Kiara. Kiara, smiling softly, looked up at him from the ground.

"Morning," she said, "I think we slept in a little."

"Yeah, well… it's a big day for us, so I'm sure everyone will be fine with it," Kovu replied with a broad grin, "How long have you been awake?"

"About 5 seconds," Kiara whined playfully, "Some jerk yawned right in my ear…"

"Oh, umm, sorry?" Kovu tried with a big smile.

"Yeah, well, just keep it down next time," the lioness replied with a laugh.

With a smile, Kovu looked down at Kiara's growing belly. Gently, he nudged her tummy with his nose.

"And how did he or she do?" he asked softly.

"The cub's kicking a lot more often, Kovu," Kiara answered with a wince, "I mean, I can't wait to have this cub, but I really wish they'd just be patient and stop making such a fuss."

Kiara had been pregnant for several months, and Rafiki had predicted that the new prince or princess would be arriving very soon.

"I know, but just think about how great it'll be when he or she finally gets here!" Kovu encouraged.

"Well, let's just worry about the ceremony," Kiara answered.

Today, Kovu and Kiara would replace King Simba and Queen Nala as rulers of the Pride Lands. It had been a year and a half since the Outsiders had integrated into the Pride, and the transition couldn't have been smoother. Now, you could hardly tell the difference between the average Pride Lander and Outsider, except for maybe the Outsiders were slightly thinner due the Outlands' lack of food.

During that time, Simba had taught Kovu everything the King would need to know—resolving disagreements, keeping track of the amount of food and water, and (most importantly) protecting the Pride Lands. Now, Kovu was ready.

The couple stepped out of the cave and into the sunlight. Everywhere they looked, the Pride Lands was a whirl of activity. Zazu had successfully spread the news of the coronation, and waves of animals had converged in front of Pride Rock. Lionesses were busy helping Zazu supervise the huge crowd.

"Good morning, you two," a creamy-furred lioness said from their left.

"Vitani!" Kiara greeted with a grin, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Kovu's sister answered, "I was waiting for you guys to get your lazy butts up. I've got a message for you."

"You do?" Kovu asked, "From who?"

"Simba," Vitani replied, "He says to meet him at midday at the top of Pride Rock."

"Ok, thanks," Kiara said, "Will we see you later?"

"Oh, definitely," the other lioness smirked, "I wouldn't dream of missing the after-party."

At midday, the current King of the Pride Lands was waiting for his daughter and son-in-law to meet him. As they approached, he smiled. His fur was still it's golden hue, but his maine had began to turn grey from old age.

"Daddy!" Kiara called as she ran forward and snuggled into his embrace.

"Good morning, Simba," Kovu smiled, "Vitani said you wanted to talk to us…"

"Yep, I just wanted to go over the final details with you guys and Rafiki." Simba answered with a soft smile, "Ah, here he is now."

As Simba spoke, Rafiki slowly walked up the steps leading to the ledge. With a smile, he wrapped his arms around Kovu and Kiara in a big group hug. Then, he turned to Simba and hugged him, too.

"Good day, your highnesses," he let out a chuckle, "So, after Simba gives his farewell speech to his subjects, he and Nala will turn around and look your way. Then, Kovu, you will help Kiara approach Simba and Nala. Be careful, dis one's gotten big!" He laughed and patted Kiara on the head affectionately.

"Hey! I'm eating for two people now!" Kiara shot back defensively.

"Just kidding, Princess. Now, you two will stand alongside Simba and Nala, and I will say a Prayer of Initiation, welcoming Kiara and Kovu into de Pride. Den, Simba and Nala will join de entire Kingdom in bowing to der new king and queen. Has everyone got it?"

Everybody nodded in agreement. Rafiki smiled and let out a crazy laugh.

"Aha! Well den, shall we get to it?"


	2. New Arrivals

**A/N: So first off, thanks ****so much**** to those who have already reviewed! I really appreciate any feedback I can get, positive or negatively constructive. Also, I'll try to update frequently, but I'm going on vacation with the family to Florida next week, and I'm not sure how much I'll be able to get done. Sorry.**

**But if you stick it out, I promise I'll update like crazy right after the holidays and finals. If you can make it through then, you'll be rewarded :) Anyway, enjoy this chap and be sure to review!**

**The Apprentice **

**Chapter II: New Arrivals**

Simply put, the coronation ceremony went flawlessly. Granted, Simba's farewell speech put a tear in nearly everyone's eyes, but that just goes to show how loved Simba was by the whole kingdom. Every creature, from the mightiest of the elephants to the lowliest meerkat had been touched by Simba's deeds in some way.

With Kovu's help, Kiara was able to stand alongside her mate and parents and be blessed by Rafiki. Her stomach was rather large now, but luckily, her cub stayed quiet for the entire ceremony. Rafiki had sprinkled the four lions with sacred powders that had an unusual but pleasant smell. Murmuring the Prayer of Initiation, Rafiki waved his staff in complicated swirls over Kovu and Kiara's heads. Leaning in, he grabbed them both in a warm hug.

"It is time," he whispered in their ears, his eyed shining with happiness.

Kovu and Kiara took one step forward, and inhaled deeply. Suddenly, the silence that filled the Pride Lands was shattered by a pair of powerful roars. The new King and Queen were quickly joined by Simba and Nala. The huge crowd below them erupted in frenzied cheers, and Rafiki added his own maniacal laugh. For an entire minute, the air was filled with shouts of jubilation.

Kovu turned to Kiara and saw that she was already looking at him with tender eyes. He smiled, she smiled. Despite the massive crowd of screaming animals, they let nothing distract them as they shared this perfect moment. They both knew, even then, that it was one of the happiest moments of their lives.

About a week after the coronation, Kovu and Kiara had settled into their roles quite well. Luckily for them, they were both well-liked in the kingdom. Kiara had grown up in the Pride Lands her entire life, and she won over nearly everyone she met with her kind demeanor and approachability. Kovu, though at first regarded as an "outsider", had earned the Pride's trust through his selfless acts of courage when confronting Zira.

Now, Kiara lay on the cool floor of the den. Earlier, she had felt contractions in her stomach and had sent for Rafiki. Everyone knew what was coming; a new prince or princess was about to enter this world. Nala and Vitani were the only Pride members allowed to stay with the new Queen. Outside, ionesses huddled together and whispered in excitement. Kovu, along with Simba, nervously pawed the ground and thought of a million things that could go wrong with the delivery.

"Relax, Kovu, she'll be fine" a kind voice spoke to Kovu as a hand reassuringly patted his shoulder.

Kovu turned and saw Rafiki, who had just arrived on the scene, clasping his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"How can you know?" the King asked worriedly, " The cub could be still-born, or it could have a birth defect, or she could lose too much blood, or—"

"Or everyting could go just fine," Rafiki interrupted with a laugh, "Is dat really such a crazy idea?"

"_You're _crazy, old man," Kovu laughed, feeling slightly less anxious.

Suddenly, a loud roar of pain penetrated the tense silence that enveloped Pride Rock. With a startled look on his face, Rafiki hobbled off to the den.

"I guese dat's my cue," the shaman said by way of farewell to Kovu.

About an hour later, Kovu and Simba were still anxiously waiting. The longer he waited, the sicker Kovu felt. It was getting to the point where literally every breath he took seemed to add to the pressure in his chest.

"This is ridiculous! I'm going in there." Kovu roared in exasperation.

And before Simba or the lionesses could stop him, he dashed off into the den… right into his sister.

"Well at least you saved me the trouble of fetching you," Vitani snickered, "Now come on, they're waiting for you."

_They?, Kovu wondered. _"You mean…"

"Congratulations, brother," Vitani purred in pride.

As they entered the main sleeping area, Kovu saw them. Kiara, looking tired but incredibly happy, laid on the ground with a small ball of fur clasped between her paws. Nala, having been in her daughter's same position and knowing how special a moment this was for her, gracefully stood a small distance away.

"Kovu…" Kiara whispered.

"kiara." Kovu answered back, much more strongly, "Is that…?"

"She's beautiful, Kovu," Kiara said joyfully, "Definitely worth all that waiting."

"I agree," Nala said from off to the side, "Congratulations, both of you."

Kovu could only manage to nod vaguely as he stared down at the amazing creature he and Kiara had brought into the Pride. The cub had a soft tan coat, anot quite as dark as Kovu's. Even then, her eyes were a faint brownish-red, definitely a trait from Kiara. For now, the cub was content to simply stare back at her parents, who looked down on her with loving expressions.

"What will you name her?" Vitani asked curiously.

Kovu and Kiara glanced at each other, not quite sure how to answer.

"I want you to pick," Kovu said gently, "You went through so much to bring her here."

"O-okay…" Kiara bit her lip and stared intently at her daughter, "We'll name her…"

"Maiya, our little Maiya."

The rest of the day was absolute bliss for the King and Queen. They spent the entire time introducing Maiya to the rest of the Pride. Of course, lions would have to approach in small groups so as not to frighten the tiny cub. Everybody was ecstatic over the princess's birth, especially her parents.

Sooner or later, though, the couple had to return to their royal duties. So far, Kovu and Kiara had faced very few challenges as monarchs. Sure, there was the occasional territorial dispute between the cheetahs and the panthers, or Kovu's daily patrol, but nothing had actually alarmed the King and Queen yet.

Kovu was sitting with Kiara, who was busy feeding their daughter. Kovu had been spending all his free time with his family, much to Kiara's delight. As Maiya suckled hungrily, Kiara and Kovu discussed the day's events and plans for a possible walk the next day.

Suddenly, Zazu came flying an collided with the King's chest, ricocheting right off and landing in a heap at the lion's paws.

"Sire! Sire! There's an intruder on the northern border!" the majordomo squawked. Kovu noted how amazing it was that the hombill still had enough breath to be so loud.

"Alright, Zazu. Where is he? What does he look like?"

"Not a lion, sire. A lioness, and she is of medium build with light orange fur. She looks rather tired, your Majesty."

"Alright then, Kiara stay here and rest, I've got this" And without a second's hesitation, Kovu rushed out of the cave.

Spotting the intruder was simple enough, or rather, _smelling _her was no problem. The air around the border smelled like a rotted hyena corpse covered in elephant dung and filled with warthog gas. The lioness was staggering towards Pride Rock, but it was pretty clear to Kovu she wouldn't make it. Not in her condition.

She looked terrible. Her fur, though very pretty, was stained with blood that oozed from several open wounds. She looked malnourished; Kovu could clearly see the outline of her ribs.

"Hold it right there! What are you doing in my kingdom?" Kovu bellowed at the lioness.

"Please… sanctuary…" the lioness barely managed to croak.

On the inside, Kovu felt for the lioness. She was obviously in a bad situation and needed immediate help. But as king, it was his job to keep the Pride Lands safe. That meant making sure the lioness wasn't a threat.

"I might be able to help you. What's your name?" the king asked cautiously.

"w-wema. Please, I have a cub!" her voice sounded like it could break at any moment.

It was then that Kovu noticed the tiny cub huddled behind its mother's legs. Even in her state, Wema was protecting her only child.

"Take him, please… I-I don't think… strong enough." She pleaded weakly as she collapsed on her side.

"Whoa! Hey, just relax. You and your cub will both be fine!" Kovu was starting to get worried. He quickly roared a signal to his Pride that an emergency situation was at hand.

"You… you'll care for him? Take him in?" the lioness murmured.

Then it struck Kovu, this lioness was dying. He could already see the light fading from her eyes, although they still maintained a determined look.

"…Yes. I'll treat your cub like my own." He promised solemnly.

For the first time, Wema smiled faintly. "Thank you, mighty king. May the kings bless you."

"Please, stay with me." Kovu pleaded urgently. "Your cub needs you."

"No he doesn't, not any more…" the lioness whispered, "He has you."

And with that, Wema gently hugged her whimpering cub, whispered a soft good-bye, and passed on.

**A/N: Sorry if this all seems a little too dramatic. I tried to balance the sad ending with the happy scene of Maiya's birth. Hope I did a good job. If you have some pointers for me, questions, or requests (I'm more than willing to alter my story to fit any you have), then just say so in a review. Thanks :)**

**Now, as I said at the beginning, I'll be in Florida for about 2 weeks. Where I am right now, snow is ****everywhere ****and the wind chill isn't helping. I'll try to update during this time, but no promises. Happy holidays **


	3. Children of the Pride

**A/N: OK, so I am SO sorry for keeping you waiting. As I said, I've been spending the last two weeks soaking in the rays, sipping lemonade, and checking out beach babes in Florida haha. But now I'm back in Indiana, where I don't have to worry about warm weather or good times. **

**Hope everybody had a good holiday season and happy 2011 :)**

**Chapter III: Children of the Pride**

About three months passed in the Pride Lands. Maiya had quickly displayed her curiosity (a trait that apparently ran in the royal family). She had waited only a few weeks before leaving the den and exploring the rest of the Pride Lands. Her eager and bubbly personality could sometimes get obnoxious, but most of the Pride viewed her as a fine heir to the throne.

Wema's orphaned cub, who had given his name as Shauku, was about a month and a half older. Since there weren't that many cubs in the Pride, Shauku and Maiya spent most of their time exploring together. He was rather similar but also quite distinct. True, he shared Maiya's adventurous temperament (Shauku means "enthusiasm" after all). However, he could also be moody and irritable, sometimes lashing out at Maiya for the most trivial reasons. The Pride had adopted Shauku as a son, but everyone knew it wasn't the same as having a real mother to talk to and spend time with.

"C'mon, Maiya!" Shauku whispered sternly. He and Maiya were playing yet another game of "hunter". They would stalk their "prey" (usually another cub or a bug) and try to pounce it. Today though, Shauku had proposed that they try and pounce a baby elephant, an idea Maiya wasn't too keen on.

"Wait, Shauku! Maybe this is a bad idea…" Maiya whispered back, "I mean, we're two cubs and those elephants are like 20 times bigger than us."

"Relax, princess." Shauku smirked. Shauku shared his mother's golden fur and amber eyes. Being older, he was slightly larger than Maiya.

"No seriously, my dad'll kill us if he finds out we ditched Zazu again. Let's just –"

But right then, Shauku's paw snapped a twig, and the entire elephant herd stopped drinking from the river. With their ears fanned out in high alert, they quickly formed a protective circle around the young and elderly. Then, two large males headed towards the cubs' hiding spot, their tusks gleaming in the sunlight.

"Point taken, let's bounce!" Shauku yelled as he and Maiya both dashed away from the elephants. However, this only caused the rest of the herd to fly into a panic and stampede.

"AAAUUUGGHH!" the cubs screamed as they desperately sprinted back towards the water hole, where Zazu had been watching them.

"Hurry, into that foxhole! " Shauku motioned with his chin towards a hole in the ground, probably dug by a wolf. Both cubs dove into the hole and huddled together.

Luckily, the elephants had been distracted by a freakish howling noise and had veered off to their right, running back along the southern border. Even after the elephants were long gone, Shauku and Maiya still huddled together and trembled uncontrollably.

"You are ok now, young ones," a kind voice spoke. Both cubs suddenly became aware of the elephants disappearance, and their replacement with the Pride's resident shaman.

"Rafiki! Y-you saved us?" Maiya was really shooken up. Until about 10 seconds ago, she had thought she was about to be crushed to death.

"Yes, princess. De herd is gone, und I will take you to your parents now," the old baboon replied.

Kovu and Kiara had both heard the rumbling all the way from Pride Rock. They weren't too concerned though, until Zazu came flying onto the promontory in a panic.

"Your Highnesses! T-they're gone! They were there when I turned my back for a second or two, and now I can't find them!" the majordomo squawked.

"Maiya and Shauku are gone? Zazu, when did you last see them?" Kiara urgently asked.

"M-maybe… ten minutes ago?" the bird squeaked.

"TEN MINUTES? How do you lose track of two cubs for ten minutes?" Kovu was filled with fear and anger.

"I-I was addressing some monkeys that were playing pranks on a hippo, and I thought the Princess and her friend were still swimming in the water hole and… and…." And then Zazu collapsed on the cold ground, completely exhausted both physically and mentally.

"Zazu? Nala, could you help him?" Kovu asked worriedly, he was feeling bad for freaking out on the aging hombill.

"Of course, Kovu" Nala answered and too Zazu's limp form into the cool shade of the den. Meanwhile, Kovu turned to Simba.

"We've got to go get them," the King said to his predecessor, "How about you take the northern border, I'll take the southern, and Kiara will take the western? I'll ask Vitani to search the eastern."

"Der is no need for dat, my King!" a voice called from down on the ground. Down below, Rafiki approached with Maiya in his arms and Shauku at his side.

"Maiya!" kiara called as she ran down the steps of Pride Rock and took Maiya from Rafiki, gently holding the cub in her mouth. Kovu, meanwhile, turned to Shauku.

"Are you ok, Shauku?" the King asked with concern.

"Yes, sir," the male cub answered quietly. Kovu knew something bad must have happened to make Shauku lose his energetic attitude.

"We'll discuss this later," the King said, "For now, go with Kiara to the den and sleep. Rafiki, walk with me."

"So, what happended?" Kovu asked Rafiki as the two strolled across the rolling plains of the Pride Lands.

"Well, Sire, I tink it was Shauku's idea to go near the elephant herd. I heard him yelling right before the stampede." Rafiki answered.

"Hmmm," Kovu mused, "He's getting worse, Rafiki. I know all cubs are curious and occasionally reckless, and it's only in Shauku's nature to want to explore. But I will NOT have him put Maiya in danger! What should I do? He's her best friend."

"Kovu, I tink I might have a solution," Rafiki murmured, "You see, I'm getting old, and soon I will be moving on in de Circle of Life, probably within de year or so."

"You mean you're… dying?" Kovu asked, turning to the baboon.

"Yes, and I can't leave de Pride Lands witout a shaman," Rafiki said, "You will still need a healer, an advisor, someone to communicate wit de Great Kings."

"Who then?" Kovu asked, "One of the lionesses? I'm not sure any are interested…"

"No. Dey are all too old und too scarred from war und conflict." Rafiki quickly answered, "I will train someone young, someone pure. A cub."

"You don't mean…Shauku?" Kovu asked, slightly skeptical, "No offense, Rafiki, but I don't know if you can handle the little guy. He's quite a handful. And he's not exactly pure. I mean, he lost his mom when he was barely a month old."

"Dat is true, Sire, but my instincts tell me dat Shauku has a great heart, and also great courage." Rafiki answered, "He is my choice, if you would allow it."

"I… agree, but only because you are so sure of this," Kovu answered, "When will you tell him?"

"Tonight, after supper. Just make sure he stays out of trouble until then, hmm?"

Meanwhile, Shauku and Maiya were resting in the den. They were both pretty beat from their stressful adventure with the elephants and Nala and Kiara were making sure the cubs wouldn't' get into any more trouble.

"Hey, Maiya?" Shauku asked hesitatingly.

"Yeah? What's up?" the Princess said. She wasn't her usual bubbly self, she was still pretty shook up.

"I'm… uh… sorry." Shauku answered slowly, then he sped up, " You know, about making you come with me to the elephant herd. It… it was a really dumb thing to do and umm…"

"Shauku, it's ok," Maiya answered, a warm grin spreading across her muzzle, "We didn't get smushed, and that's what matters." Then she giggled and gave him a friendly nuzzle to show all was well.

"Ok… uh, thanks." Shauku said, now returning the grin.

"Alright, cubs, time for dinner!" Kiara called from the den's entrance. She had just returned from the hunt while Nala had been babysitting.

"Yippee!" Maiya giggled as she and Shauku scampered over to the zebra carcass. She was definitely back to her happy, usual self. "Hey Mom, where's Dad?"

"He's still out with Rafiki, but he should be here—"

"Right now." Kovu finished as he walked up behind Kiara a loving nuzzle. "Feeling better, Maiya?"

"Yes, Daddy." Maiya answered and ran over to give him a quick hug.

"Good, oh and Shauku? Rafiki would like to speak with you at his tree." Kovu said as he and his family began to eat their dinner.

"Rafiki? Why?" Shauku asked, still a little embarrassed about being rescued by the old chimp.

"Oh, nothing…" Kovu chuckled as he nudged Shauku with his paw towards the den's entrance. "Go on, it'll be fine."

"Umm, Rafiki?" Shauku called as the cub stood at the base of Rafiki's treehouse. "You there?"

Nothing happened for a few minutes, but then the smiling face of Rafiki popped out from the treetop.

"Here I am, young Shauku!" the baboon laughed, "Come in!"

"How am I supposed to get all the way up there?" called Shauku, a little annoyed by Rafiki calling him "young".

"If you can survive an elephant stampede, you can climb dis tree!" Rafiki answered, and with a wild laugh, went back inside.

"Climb the tree, puh." Shauku grumbled as he jumped onto a low-hanging branch, "It'd be so much easier if you came down here, but noooo…oof!"

Thankfully, Shauku wasn't too high up, so the fall didn't cause any lasting damage, just a slight bruise. Rafiki's voice came calling out of the tree.

"Be sure to concentrate, young one, don't let anything distract you!"

"Yeah, whatever," Shauku muttered, "Easy for you to say, you're already up in the damn tree!"

"It'd probably be best to stop complaining and to focus on the task at hand, yes?" Rafiki's voice answered, as if the shaman could hear Shauku from all the way up in the tree.

"How…?" Shauku was amazed that Rafiki heard him complaining. But he decided to clamp his mouth shut and get up the godforsaken tree.

After he stopped grumbling and began to focus, Shauku didn't stumble again, not once. After a few minutes, he nimbly jumped into the monkey's home.

"Ah, der you are, Shauku." Rafiki smiled, "How are you?"

"Umm, ok I guess," Shauku answered, slightly creeped out. "So, uh, why'd you want to see me?"

"Straight to the point, hmm? Good." Rafiki chuckled, "Look at that wall, Shauku, what do you see?"

"Uh, are those paintings?" Shauku answered.

"Yes, yes dey are." Rafiki answered, "Dat is the royal family tree. It dates back to de time of the great King Mohatu, Maiya's great-great-great grandfather."

"Whoa…" Shauku's eyes widened, "You painted all of this?"

"Yes, every last sketch. But I don't know how many more drawings I will be making. You see, Shauku, I'm getting very old."

"Oh…" Shauku's ears flattened on his head as he took notice of the sad tone in Rafiki's voice. "But who will paint the rest? And who will take care of the sick and hurt lions? And who will help deliver cubs? And—"

"Ah, so you see how many responsibilities I have." Rafiki smiled, "Do you think a lion would ever be able to do so many things, Shauku?"

"Well, I mean, there is a lot of work you have to do, but yeah, I think maybe somebody could help cove for you. Maybe Aunt Vitani, she's really smart. Or my friend Hami's mom, she's always really helpful with stuff…"

"No, child, an adult cannot perform de spiritual aspects of my job, but a cub could." Rafiki smiled, looking straight at Shauku.

"M-me? But… I'm always getting myself and others in trouble! I don't think I'd be very good at helping people. I mean, I'm just a cub…"

"Ah, but you will grow. Und I already see that you have a quick mind and a kind heart, Shauku. All you need now, is de will." Rafiki answered, "I promise dat I will prepare you for all de jobs you will perform. I would be your teacher, and you… would be my apprentice."

"Apprentice? Like a student or something?" Shauku asked, slightly less jumpy now.

"Yes, exactly," Rafiki grineed, "Like a student. I see a great destiny for you, Shauku. But only you can choose what dat destiny will be. So… will you be my apprentice?"

And then, the entire Pride Lands were completely still. It seemed like the land itself was waiting for Shauku's reply. No zebras neighed, no birds squawked, no sound was heard whatsoever. Complete and utter stillness.

"….Yes. I'll let you be my teacher, and I promise I'll try to be the best apprentice I can be." Shauku replied, "I'm ready."

**OK, so I've got a few weeks before midterm exams, so maybe I'll get a few more chapters in before then. Please review, and see ya next time!**


	4. Setting Off

**A/N: As always a big ****thank you**** to anyone who reviewed. Midterm exams are creeping their ugly heads up at my school, but I'll hopefully be able to post next week. Enjoy this chap! **

**Chapter IV: Lessons of Life**

The next day, Shauku was up bright and early. He usually woke up at the crack of day anyway, but today was special. Today, Shauku would begin his journey to become shaman, and the cub was filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Sure, being shaman would be an honorable and interesting job, but to be frank, Shauku had almost no clue about what Rafiki truly did for the pride.

Shauku decided that a walk to the waterhole and a cool drink of water might help with calming his nerves. And who better to accompany him than his best friend?

"Hey, Maiya!" Shauku whispered, "Psst, Maiya!"

After nudging her for a few more seconds, Shauku finally managed to wake the young Princess. With a small yawn, Maiya blinked slowly and stared up at Shauku with foggy eyes.

"Sh-shauku?... Umm, what do you want?" Maiya murmured as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "What time is it?"

"It's dawn, Maiya." Shauku answered, "Sorry about waking you up, but I wanted to go get a drink before I start training with Rafiki."

Of course, Maiya understood Shauku's reasons. By now, the entire pride (and most of the other animals in the Pride Lands) knew about Shauku's new status as a shaman apprentice. Maiya knew Shauku must be nervous, but why did he have to wake her up?

"But… why do you need me to come?" Maiya asked, "You go to the waterhole by yourself all the time."

"Umm… I woke you up because… uh" And then Shauku realized it, he had WANTED Maiya to come along. Sure, she was his best friend, but he suddenly realized just how much time he had been spending with her recently… alone.

"Uh… well I figured we could play tag or something before I go off to my lessons," Shauku lied.

"…Fine, let's go," Maiya huffed, obviously disappointed by his answer. She had also begun to realize that Shauku was becoming more than just her best friend.

_He's like the brother I never had, _Maiya thought, _And he's pretty cool and cute and—wait, WHAT? _Had she really just thought that?

Shauku smiled at Maiya and, helping her to her paws, walked with her out into the dark Pride Lands.

Both cubs sipped at the cool water as they stood in silence. It was still early, early morning in the Pride Lands, Shauku's favorite time of the entire day. At this time, Shauku felt truly at peace; no noisy monkeys, no chores, and (best of all) everything seemed to take on a different appearance at daybreak. All things, from the tiniest pebble to looming Pride Rock, seemed mysterious and new. Sighing with contentment, Shauku turned to Maiya.

"So, whatcha doing today?" he asked in a friendly tone.

"Well, my mom's going to start teaching me some basic hunting and survival skills and stuff today," Maiya said, grinning broadly. Ever since she was little, Maiya had admired the Pride's huntresses. They were the hardest workers, the most disciplined, the most open-hearted… You get the picture. And today, Maiya would finally be learning how to become one of them.

"That's cool," Shauku said, "Maybe we can hang out at lunchtime or something?"

"Yeah!" Maiya exclaimed with that big smile that Shauku loved, "Definitely!"

"Ok, sounds good," Shauku said with a big smile of his own, "Well, I better go meet Rafiki. He said to be at his tree when the sun started rising. See ya later, Maiya!"

"Bye, Shauku!" Maiya called as the cubs headed their separate ways. Maiya went back to Pride Rock for some more sleep, while Shauku headed for Rafiki's tree to begin his life's journey.\

As Shauku approached the old mandrill's treehouse, he saw that Rafiki was already up and at it. The mandrill was busy crushing fruits and mixing their juices with some herbs that he had collected in a makeshift bowl. Even from twenty feet away, Shauku couldn't escape the concoctions repugnant smell.

"Good morning Rafiki. So what are we—UGH!" Shauku nearly gagged as he approached Rafiki, "What is that stuff?"

"Good morning, Shauku," Rafiki replied with a light chuckle, "Dis 'stuff' is very important medicine. It helps with cuts und gashes by keeping the wounds from reopening. In some cases, it can save lives."

"Wow… all from a few fruits and plants?" Shauku asked.

"Yes. When used in da proper sequence and instance, dese fruits und plants can cause great things to happen. Miracles, even."

"Cool!" Shauku whooped as he trotted over to his mentor, now completely ignoring the odor, "So what're we doing today, Rafiki?"

"Today," Rafiki began, "You will help me gather herbs und fruits. Und den I will show you how to make some simple pain relievers."

"Aww man!" Shauku pouted, "We're just gonna run around and pick leaves and fruits? Why can't we just use all thos extras you have over there?" He pointed over to a hollowed-out log, which Rafiki used as a storage area for his extra medical ingredients and finished products.

"Shush!" Rafiki commanded, "Now, does dis schedule sound too boring for you? Hmm? Well, too bad! I'm da master, you are de student. You will what I tell you to, when I tell you to. Dis is your first lesson: der is a time to act, und der is a time to listen. Do you understand, Shauku?"

The whole time, Shauku sat looking at his paws in embarrassment. After Rafiki finished and posed his question, Shauku looked up and slowly nodded.

"Good," Rafiki said, a smile returning to his face, "Now, let's get started, shall we?"

Slowly, a smile returned to Shauku's golden face. He didn't like it when Rafiki got irritated, but the mandrill's lecture had served its purpose. From now on, Shauku promised himself that he would work hard and follow Rafiki's instructions to the letter. With a happy bounce in their steps, Rafiki and Shauku strolled out into the welcoming embrace of the Pride Lands.

**Sorry if this all seems like filler, but I just wanted to show how the path to the shamanship(?) won't be a cakewalk for Shauku. I tried to make it interesting, but you'll have to tell me if I didn't because I haven't learned how to read minds yet :) So since you've taken the time to read all this, why not move your mouse about 3 inches downwards and click on the Review option. C'mon, please?**

**But anyway, thanks for reading and see you next week**


	5. Progression

**Disclaimer: Everything is Disney's, except my OC's of course**

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, but I was busy with school and other activities. I did manage to right some poetry, though, so if you haven't read it yet, please do. It's called "In Memory of Taka" & you can find it on my page. Anyways, enjoy!**

**V: Progression**

As it turned out, Shauku was a very quick learner. Within the first 2 months, he had already learned how to concoct many simple medicines for a variety of ailments. He also learned how to build splints for broken bones, create antidotes for quite a few deadly poisons, and even how to predict when a cub would be born and its gender by simply feeling a mother's stomach (although that lesson was strictly theoretical, as Rafiki didn't want to make Shauku or any lionesses uncomfortable). Now that he had learned the basics of healing, Rafiki felt that Shauku was ready to learn some things about spirituality, prophecy, and divination.

"Ummm… so why are we out here again?" Shauku asked as Rafiki busily piled several funny-looking leaves and roots together. It was about midnight, way past Shauku's bedtime. As the cub yawned for the twentieth time, Shauku tried not to let his eyes droop too much.

"We are here, Shauku, too contact spirits," Rafiki repeated, "Und I must ask you to remain very quiet, young one. I must concentrate."

"Right, sorry Rafiki," Shauku murmured.

About 10 minutes later, Rafiki was ready to proceed. Slowly, he turned to his apprentice.

"Now, before we go on, I must tell you some tings about the spiritual world," Rafiki spoke, jolting Shauku from his mini-nap, "De spirits are much like us; dey can feel emotion, dey can sleep und eat und drike just like us, und dey can contact us just as easily as we can talk to dem. You must always remember dat not all spirits are good, der are liars und thieves up der." He pointed to the sky with his index finger.

"O-okay," Shauku replied uneasily, getting slightly creeped out by all this talk of ghosts, "But there are nice ones too, right?"

"Oh yes, der are many kind spirits," Rafiki answered with a chuckle, "Und dese spirits include are dead loved ones, our old friends who have passed on, and even our ancient ancestors. In paticular, der is a group of spirits called Da Great Kings of De Past. Dese lions are the leaders of de spirits, und dey include your Uncle Simba's father Mufasa, und his Uncle Taka, und his grandfather, Ahadi, und his great-grandfather Mohatu."

"Cool!" Shauku exclaimed, "So are they the spirits we're gonna talk to tonight?"

"Just one, Shauku," Rafiki smiled, pleased with his student's eagerness, "We are going to talk to King Mufasa, your Uncle Simba's father und my good friend."

"How will we know if he is speaking to us?" Shauku asked, a little nervous, "Is my fur clean?" He began to lick at himself obsessively.

Rafiki let out a maniacal laugh at Shauku's self-grooming. "Ahaha! You are a character, Shauku," he chuckled, "Don't worry, your fur is fine. Und I think you'll know when Mufasa is speaking to us. Now let me light de incense."

"Incense?" Shauku asked, looking up from his self-induced makeover, "You mean those leaves and twigs?"

"Der not twigs! Der roots," Rafiki answered reproachfully, "Und yes, dese will help Mufasa hear us, aldough dey arent' completely necessary."

As Rafiki rubbed two sticks furiously together, a spark appeared on the ned of one. Grinning, he slowly lowered his ember to the pile of dry leaves and roots. Instantly, a giant wall of flame erupted, causing Shauku to cry out and hide behind Rafiki. The mandrill only smiled softly.

"It's ok, Shauku," he said reassuringly, "Dat is very normal."

"R-right," the golden cub replied, trying to act like he knew that was coming, "Umm, Rafiki? What's that smell?"

A sweet-smelling scent had reached the cub's nose. It smelled nice, but it was still very unusual.

"Dat is the incense, my apprentice," Rafiki answered, "Now hush."

As Shauku and Rafiki looked on, the smoke from the fire began to turn a golden hue with some crimson mixed in. Shauku eyes widened as the smoke gradually swirled into the form of a powerful golden lion with a red mane. King Mufasa smiled warmly and stepped forwards toward Rafiki and Shauku.

"Evening, Rafiki," Mufasa said with a chuckle. As he walked towards the mandrill, Rafiki approached and pulled Mufasa into a brotherly hug.

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure?" the lion asked, turning to the cub in front of him. Shauku tried looking the king in the face, but had to settle for staring at the lion's paws.

"Dis is my new apprentice, Shauku," Rafiki anwered patting Shauku on the head.

"Hello, young one," Mufasa said with a rumble.

"Umm… Hi," Shauku replied, his eyes widened as he mentally face-palmed, "I mean, uh, good evening, Your Majesty."

Mufasa laughed qquietly, "Please, just call me Mufasa, Shauku. As I understand it, your Uncle Kovu is king now."

"Uh, right." Shauku answered, still obviously uncomfortable about conversing with a lion who had been dead for at least six years.

"So, Mufasa," Rafiki came to the rescue for Shauku, drawing the lion's attention away from the nervous cub, "I was just instructing Shauku on de Spirit World. I have already told him about de Great Kings und how you are always keeping tabs on us mere mortals," the mandrill chuckled.

"Ha ha," the king muttered at the mandrill's teasing, "Well, Shauku, what Rafiki has told is all true. We spirits are constantly watching over our earthly family, and that includes you." He smiled as Shauku's eyes widened.

"Umm, but Your—Mufasa," He corrected himself quickly, "I'm not a Pride Lander by birth, I'm from… umm… well, I'm not from around here." Shauku was a little embarrassed he had not idea where he was from.

"That is no matter, Shauku," Mufasa said, "Our family includes every lion in the world, not just those from the Pride Lands."

"Oh… OK," Shauku replied slowly.

"I know it sounds strange, young one," Mufasa said with a reassuring smile, "But it will all make sense in time."

For the next half an hour or so, Mufasa taught Shauku all about the Great Cirle of Life and how all creatures, big and small, were connected. Eventually, though, it was time for the king to leave.

"Well, Shauku, I guess this is good-bye for now," Mufasa said somewhat sadly as he started to leave the light of the burning incense and deeper into the shadows of the sleeping Pride Lands.

"Bye, Mufasa!" Shauku called happily. He rather liked the ghostly king, he reminded him somewhat of his Uncle Simba.

"I'll be right back, Shauku," Rafiki said as he and Mufasa walked away from Shauku, but still staying close enough to keep the young cub safe is predators showed up.

"He's very bright, Rafiki, and eager," Mufasa murmured as he and his old friend stood beneath Rafiki's tree, "An excellent choice… and yet, I can feel something… dark within his heart."

"Yes, my friend," Rafiki said, "Shauku was born in… harsh circumstances. He's Wema's boy."

"Ah…" Mufasa mused, "You haven't told him about…?"

"Of course not!" Rafiki replied indignantly, "No cub needs to hear about such tings! I will tell him….someday."

"I know you have his best interests in mind, my friend," Mufasa said placatingly, "But don't let your protectiveness be your undoing… or his."

"I understand," Rafiki replied, "Und I will tell him in due time. Just be patient, Mufasa."

"I'm afraid the time for patience has passed, Rafiki," Mufasa answered, "You must prepare, and quickly, if Shauku is to be ready."

"Alright, alright!" Rafiki snapped, "Geez, quit nagging!"

Mufasa smiled at his friend, then looked him straight in the eyes, "Just remember what I said." And with that, Simba's father walked into the Pride Lands and disappeared.

Rafiki let out a large "hmmph!" and walked back to the fire. Not surprisingly, Shauku had fallen asleep near the warm and sweet-smelling flames. Rafiki couldn't help but smile at the cub's look of pure content. But all things had to end eventually.

"Shauku… come on," Rafiki gently nudged his apprentice awake, "It's time to head home, young one."

"Hmmm? Oh, hey Rafiki…" Shauku said, turning over to get more comfortable, "Where'd Mufasa go?"

"He went back to his home, Shauku, someting you should be doing right now." Rafiki replied softly, nudging Shauku again.

"Huh? Oh alright," and with a mighty sigh, Shauku got up and started waling with his mentor.

As they approached the den, Shauku remembered a question he had wanted to ask his teacher ever since they had begun talking about spirits and life after death. Quickly, he turned to the mandrill.

"So, Rafiki… I had a question," Shauku began catching the mandrill's eye, "About spirits."

"Ask away, Shauku," Rafiki replied.

"You mentioned earlier that our… dead family members are… watching over us from above."

"Dat's correct," Rafiki answered patiently.

"So… are my mother and… father up there, too?" Shauku asked quietly.

"Ah, here we are!" Rafiki hastily proclaimed as they reached the den, "Well, Shauku, sweet dreams!"

And with that, the mandrill quickly left, leaving Shauku standing at the den's entrance with a million questions swimming through his young mind.

**To clarify, Shauku refers all adult male Pride Landers as "Uncle _" and females as "Aunt(ie) _". Please be sure to review :) **


	6. Shauku's Time Off

**Disclaimer: It's all Disney's, except my OC's of course.**

**A/N: Hey there! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you can forgive me. I've been busy with studying for midterm exams, working on the school newspaper, yada yada yada. You get the picture. Possibly going to write some more poetry next month, so keep your eyes open for that. Alright, now enjoy this chapter :) **

**VI: Shauku's Time Off**

As the time passed, Shauku slowly but surely began to mature. Not just as an apprentice shaman, but physically as well. His previously small tuff had gradually grown; his sprouting mane now covered parts of his neck and shoulders, though it would still be quite a while before Shauku had his full mane, a day he was waitng for like it was the Second Coming. Without a doubt, Shauku had left cubhood behind and was now entering the realm of adolescences.

The other youths of the Pride Lands had begun to mature as well. Maiya, for instance, had gone through a growth spurt. Her legs had grown longer and more powerful, which would definitely come in handy when she became leader of the huntresses. She was now nearly as tall as Shauku, though the latter was still definitely more muscular than her.

That's because Shauku's education under Rafiki hadn't been simply medical and spiritual, it had been physical as well. On many a day, Rafiki had made Shauku run the Pride Lands' entire border, swim up and down the Western River, or climb up and down the same tree for hours on end. The training had definitely empowered Shauku, although it certainly pissed him off as well. And while he had matured physically and as an apprentice, Shauku was still as emotionally insecure as ever. At one moment, he could be very agreeable and mischievous. But he was just as prone to random bursts of intense anger and sadness. The funny thing was, not even Shauku knew why he would get so worked up sometimes; it would just seem to come right out of the blue.

One day, Rafiki had been summoned to help a lioness give birth to her cub, so he had abruptly canceled his lessons with Shauku. Besides, Rafiki said, "You deserve a break. Go have fun or something!" And so, Shauku had decided to go play with the other adolescents. He found them lounging near the waterhole, just chatting.

"Hey, guys!" Shauku called as he trotted over to the other lions and lionesses.

"Hey, Shauku!" yelled Guvu, one of Shauku's best friends, "Did you finally get the day off, or are ya playing hookey?"

Shauku laughed, "Rafiki said I deserve a break, so here I am."

"Well, he's right," Maiya said kindly from the ground, "You've been working really, really hard. Come sit by me, Shauku!" And she gestured with her paw to a spot on her right.

"Umm… yeah, ok," Shauku answered. He considered Maiya to be a great friend, his best friend even, but he couldn't deny how he had started to feel a little uneasy around her. Slowly, he sauntered over and laid down by Maiya, who smiled at him.

"So what do you guys want to do today?" a light female cub named Kasi asked, "I'm bored!"

"Why don't we take a walk?" Maiya offered kindly, "I know some pretty cool trails that my dad showed me…"

"Nah, I wanna go exploring!" piped up Guvu, "Let's go somewhere we haven't been to."

"We've been everywhere, Guvu," Shauku replied, "I agree with Maiya, a walk does sound nice," He smiled over at her, and she returned the grin.

Kasi whispered something to another female cub, Siri. They both broke into giggles, and Shauku didn't have to be a genius to know that they were talking about him and Maiya, based on how they were looking at him and her. Suddenly, Shauku felt a wave of anger sweep through him, making his blood boil and a low growl to escape his throat. The two girls stopped giggling and looked at him, a little alarmed.

"Erm, you ok Shauku?" Maiya asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah," Shauku grunted, "I'm just dandy, Maiya. Hey, I'm not feeling too well right now, so why don't you all go on without me?" And without waiting for a reaction from the silent group, Shauku got up and stormed off.

"Hey wait! Shauku!" Guvu called after him. He started to get up, but Maiya's paw retained him.

"Don't." Maiya said seriously, "I don't think we should talk to him right now. He looks really ticked."

"Sorry…" Kasi weakly apologized, "I just thought it was really cute how he backed you up and all…"

"It's fine, Kasi," Maiya reassured the tan cub kindly, "Shauku's just moody today. It happens."

And so the four cubs went off on a walk through the Pride Lands, happily joking and just hanging out in general. Maiya made sure to smile and laugh at all of Guvu's corny jokes and giggle at any of Siri's gossip, but inside, she was truly worried about Shauku. She just couldn't stand to see any other creature sad or angry or pretty much anything other than happy.

_Mom calls it "compassion", _Maiya thought, _She says it'll help me be a good queen, but I wish other people's moods didn't have to affect me so much._

Meanwhile, Shauku was trying to get a grip while he laid under a shady tree. He was mentally kicking himself for being such a jerk and for looking like such a prick in front of Maiya.

_Why can't I control what I say sometimes?_ Shauku angrily mused, _ And why do I care if Maiya thinks I'm a douche? _

All these confusing thoughts on Maiya combined with his strenuous training with Rafiki was really taking a toll on Shauku. Suddenly, his anger left him and he just felt dead **tired**, like he hadn't slept all night. With a happy yawn, Shauku layed his head in between his paws, closed his eyes, and took a trip to dreamland.

Unknown to Shauku, he was not alone. On a nearby hill stood a very tired and sad mandrill. Rafiki had just arrived from delivering the lionesses' cubs, but one of the cubs, a little boy, had been stillborn. It was by no means the first time Rafiki had witnessed this event, but it still brought sadness to his heart every time he saw this.

Rafiki was also troubled by his young apprentice. Shauku had been making incredible progress as a student, Rafiki had to admit, but the adolescent's mind was still just as troubled as always.

"You still have so much to learn…" Rafiki whispered as he watched over the young lion's sleeping form, "Und time is running out faster than I feared. But I'll tell you dis, young one: As long as I can speak, my teachings will fill your ears. As long as I can walk, I will lead you down the path to enlightenment. And as long as my heart beats, I will fight to protect you from our enemies… and from yourself."

"I promise."

**Drama, drama, drama. That's what keeps me in business ;) So please review and I'll get back to you in February!**


	7. The First Quest

**A/N: I know that it seems like a lot of the stuff in this story has been filler, but that's how I write so deal with it ;) Anyway, things are definitely going to heat up this chapter, so keep reading**

**VII: The First Quest**

Things continued as usual in the Pride Lands for about 2 weeks. But like all good things, the lazy peace wouldn't last. One day, the lions and lionesses of Pride Rock awoke to find that their beloved home had slightly changed. The water from the Great River had turned slightly darker, and it tasted a little funny, too. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the water was infected. Unfortunately, some animals didn't realize until _after _they had begun feeling woozy and started vomiting their lunches all over the lush grasses of the plains.

The sickness quickly spread from one group of animals to the other, until roughly 20 or so animals, including 4 lionesses and 2 lions, were extremely ill. Thankfully, Kovu and Kiara reacted quickly. They directed the quarantining of the sick into a separate cave, where they could recover without putting any of the other animals in danger. Not everybody like the plan, especially the families of the sick, but most of the animals agreed that it was for the best.

Rafiki was troubled. Being an experienced healer, he had encountered this same disease once before, when he had been living with another pride to the east in his youth. He knew that, in order to completely neutralize all symptoms, a patient must consume a strange 5-pettled, blue-white flower that grew to the far east. Back then, it had been easy to find the flower because they grew in plenty by that pride. But now, it would take at least a week and a half to reach that same spot.

Rafiki, of course, could not possibly go. He needed to supervise the animals that would care for the weak and sickened ones who had to live in the second cave. But thankfully, Rafiki had an apprentice. One day, he summoned Shauku to his treehouse.

"What is it, Rafiki?" Shauku asked politely as he approached the sitting monkey. Rafiki looked up from the salves that he had been making out of a few local plants.

"Ah, Shauku." Rafiki murmured, "No doubt, you've noticed that de sick animals' conditions have been worsening over de last few days."

"Yeah, I have," Shauku replied glumly, "But you can heal them, right? You said you've seen this disease before."

"Yes, I have encountered it in de past," Rafiki confirmed, "But my usual medications simply won't cut it dis time. I need _you _to go to the far east and gather some healing flowers for me."

"The east?" Shauku replied, his eyes widening, "Wow! You mean I get to go do a job outside the Pride Lands?"

"Yes." Rafiki answered with a knowing smile, "But I need you to listen, Shauku. De area outside these borders is cold, cruel, and, above all, dangerous. Der are rogues, poisonous plants, hostile prides, und maybe even hyenas."

"Hyenas?" Shauku repeated, "I thought they weren't a problem ever since Simba reclaimed this place."

"Dey aren't," Rafiki replied, "until you leave here. Out der (he pointed to the eastern border), it's a free-for-all. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Shauku answered confidently, "I'll keep my eyes peeled. How will I know where to get the flowers?"

"De yare near a pride called de Mountaindwellers," Rafiki explained, "in my youth, I was der shaman. Dey are a friendly pride, or at least dey were when I left dem. Der ruler was King Jasiri, und he was a fine lion. But times have changed, so stay on your toes."

"Alright," Shauku nodded, "So when do I leave?"

"Tomorrow," Rafiki answered, "You should stick to traveling in de day. It's safer dat way."

"Ok, goodnight," Shauku turned and walked back towards Pride Rock. He creeped into the den, hoping not to wake the other Pride Landers, and slinked over to his spot by Guvu and his family.

The following morning, Shauku was ready to set out. He woke up just as the sun was making its ascent, partly out of habit and also because he wanted to get his journey started before it got too hot outside. He also wanted to avoid having to say good-bye to the pride, which would have slowed him down and drained him emotionally. However, his departure didn't exactly go unnoticed.

"Shauku?" a voice softly called from behind the young lion. Shauku spun around, assuming a fighting stance.

"Oh, Maiya, it's just you," Shauku breathed in relief. Maiya quickly noticed how jumpy her friend was. Something was up.

"Umm, are you going somewhere?" Maiya asked, "And why are you up so early?"

Shauku paused, choosing his words carefully. "Yeah, I'm leaving for a while," the lion replied, "I'm doing a little job for Rafiki, to help with healing the sick animals. I got up early so I could get started before it was too hot out."

"Oh…," was Maiya's simple reply, "So you were just going to leave without saying good-bye?" She couldn't deny that she was a little saddened by Shauku's abrupt decision.

"Well, yeah," Shauku answered, "I'm sorry, but I didn't want everybody to freak out and err… Rafiki hasn't exactly told your parents about this yet."

Maiya laughed, nodding in understanding. "Ok, I understand," she said, "Well, good luck." And with that, she nuzzled Shauku in a friendly way.

"Yeah… thanks," Shauku murmured, a little distracted by how close Maiay was to him, "I'll… I'll see you around, Maiya."

"Bye!" Maiya called as she turned back to Pride Rock.

Shauku only walked a few paces before turning around. "Hey Maiya!" he called, "Why were you out here this early?"

"Umm… hunting lesson," Maiya skittishly replied, "See ya!"

_That's weird, _Shauku thought as he walked away from Pride Rock, _I didn't see any other lionesses out here. Was she… spying on me?_

The young apprentice set these thoughts aside as he headed farther and farther away from Pride Rock, the only real home he had ever had.

**Hope everybody enjoyed this ;) and be sure to review!**


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